Summary

Adjusting her headphones, fifth-grader Itzany Mendez carefully reads through her handwritten list to select her next interview question. She fixes Rebecca Clark, a doctoral student in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU), with a curious look (see the first figure). Mendez's question reflects the perspective and natural observation skills found in a young scientist: “Why do ants huddle up like penguins?” she asks. “That's a great question,” Clark says, as she launches into a short discussion of animals and social groups.